


My Heart is Yours

by starspangledsprocket



Category: The Avengers (2012), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Bruce is forever chill, M/M, Steve is the master of wooing, Tony... kinda seems like a jerk, but he's not, he's so adorable it hurts my soul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-03
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 08:11:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/910917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starspangledsprocket/pseuds/starspangledsprocket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is determined, above all else, to win Tony's heart. Even if it means using old fashioned methods.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Heart is Yours

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally the fill of an anonymous prompt on Tumblr, and I loved the end result so much that I decided to post it here, too. 
> 
> Original prompt: 'Can you do a fic where Tony isn't interested in Steve at all and is as far as everyone knows doesn't even like guys and Steve pursues him with adorable 1940s techniques and another Avenger tries to get with Steve but realizes it won't work and then agrees to help Steve get Tony and eventually Tony succumbs.'

Steve didn’t really know why he was doing this. As far as his research had gone, it seemed as though Tony didn’t even _like_ guys like Steve liked him. All he knew was that he hadn’t felt this way about anyone since the ice, and he was damned sure going to do something about it this time, before it was too late.

Another thing he wasn’t sure about was how dating worked in this century, so he decided to stick with what he knew. His own experience was limited, of course, but he’d seen Bucky trying to win over a dame (and he knew Tony was a man, but he was the one being courted, so the principle was the same, right?), so he thought he’d be alright.

He couldn’t just outright ask the guy to go steady with him - that much he _did_ know. Even if, by some miracle, Tony _did_ reciprocate his feelings, he was about as experienced in actual relationships as Steve was himself, and he didn’t want to scare him away before they’d even started.

With that in mind, he decided to start with something small. Flowers were still romantic, right? Steve thought the red, white and blue roses he’d managed to order over the internet (and marvelled over for a full half an hour, because _blue roses_ ) were, anyway.

His initial thought had been to make them red and gold, but he wanted Tony to be aware of who was trying to win his affections and, even if it irked him, Steve knew nothing said _him_ more than the colours of the flag.

Making sure to show Dum-E he meant no harm, he left the roses - along with a Post-It Note he’d written _reason I like you #1: you’re a hard worker_ on - in the workshop.

The Post-Its had been a stroke of genius, he thought, because Tony didn’t always understand what people were trying to say to him (and Steve was under the impression that was probably at least somewhat Howard’s fault), so, if he was being too subtle with the flowers, the note, at least, would give away his intentions.

After that, it was a waiting game. With Tony being the recluse he was, Steve didn’t actually see him until two days after he’d put the flowers down in the genius’ space.

When the brunette finally stumbled into the kitchen, it was four o’clock in the afternoon, but he obviously hadn’t slept in days. Steve still grinned, anyway - because a sleepy Tony was an absolutely _adorable_ Tony - from his place at the table.

"Hi, Tony," he greeted, before taking pity on the obviously exhausted man and getting up to pour his coffee for him.

"Cap," Tony grunted in reply, making grabby hands for the coffee and humming like a contented cat when Steve finally placed it in his hands.

What followed was probably the most awkward silence of Steve’s life. He couldn’t stop himself from rocking minutely back and forth on his heels in anticipation, but Tony didn’t even seem to notice as he drank deeply from his mug.

"Okay, well, I’m refuelled now, so… see you later, Cap."

And, before Steve could even voice his protest, Tony had hightailed out of the room.

Back to the drawing board, then.

—

"Hey, Steve?"

He was barely listening - too busy trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

Perhaps it had _all_ been too subtle? Maybe Tony needed him to be more explicit in outing his intentions (or maybe he just wasn’t interested, and didn’t know how to let Steve down easy).

"So, what do you say?"

He looked up, and realised Bruce had been speaking to him the whole time he had been in his own head.

"I’m sorry, Bruce," he sighed, making sure to put on his most earnest expression. “What were you saying? I was kind of lost in my own head for a moment."

Bruce just gave him a self-deprecating smile. “It’s nothing, I was just… and I understand if you wouldn’t want to, but I… Would you, maybe, like to get some dinner with me sometime?"

Oh.

_Oh_.

"I - Bruce, I’m flattered, really I am, but I… I’m kind of completely gone over someone else," he replied, more than a little sheepish.

"Tony?" Bruce asked, and nodded along good naturedly with Steve. “I thought so. Can’t blame a guy for trying, though, right?"

"No," Steve agreed. “But I really _am_ sorry."

"Don’t worry about it," Bruce waved, still very much good-natured. “But… are you sure Tony’s into guys?"

"No," Steve admitted, “but I’m going to keep trying until I either get my date, or he specifically tells me to stop."

"Good for you, Steve," Bruce smiled yet again. “And, hey, if you need any help, you can always come to me."

Steve thought about politely declining his offer - he did, after all, feel like this matter was somewhat _intimate_ \- but, after a moment, he realised the other man could be really helpful. Bruce knew how dating worked in the modern world, after all, and, with one failed attempt already under his belt, Steve couldn’t really afford to turn his offer down.

"Actually, Bruce, that would be great."

—

Bruce thought the Post-Its were a cute idea.

Well, there were worse things to be than cute, Steve had thought, so he’d kept up with them. He was onto number twenty seven, now ( _that you don’t realise how cuddly you get before your coffee in the morning_ ), and made sure to leave them in places he knew Tony frequented - mostly the workshop.

Between the two of them, he and Bruce also decided the best way to next try and win Tony’s affections would be a simple, home-cooked dinner. Steve was glad he had brought Bruce in on this, in the end, because he turned out to be an exceptional cook, where Steve wasn’t.

When dinner was ready (a simple pasta carbonara with home-baked garlic bread), Steve had lit the candles - because what romantic dinner didn’t have candles? - and he had had JARVIS alert the other Avengers that the kitchen was _off limits_ for the remainder of the evening, he had Bruce go down to Tony’s workshop and send the genius up.

Steve decided to dress casually (because he was under the impression that Tony would be in his usual sweats and wife beater), and, when the brunette stepped cautiously into the room, he was glad he did.

But something was wrong. Tony froze in the doorway, eyes wide and staring around the room as though it were coated in blood.

"Steve, I… what is all this?" he croaked, gesturing to the set table and overall ambiance.

"Well, the flowers didn’t seem to work, and the notes don’t seem to be doing much better, so this is me… wooing you."

" _Wooing me_ ," he repeated under his breath, shaking his head in what appeared to be disbelief. “I - Steve, this is… _beautiful_ , and you are adorable - beyond adorable - and of _course_ I got your notes and the flowers, but I’m not… I’m just not good boyfriend material, okay? I would be _so_ bad for you, I - I’m sorry."

And, just like that, he was gone.

—

Steve refused to let their last interaction break him. Yes, the fact that Tony had left him standing there - after he and Bruce had put so much work into making the evening perfect - was a little devastating, but at least he could take one positive from the experience. Tony had never, once, said he wasn’t attracted to men (or, indeed, _Steve_ ), just that he would be a bad boyfriend.

Steve would just have to show him that he wanted him just as he was, regardless of how he thought of himself, and that meant there was only one thing for it.

When they had first really put their differences aside and had become friends, in one of the only instances Tony had spoken about his past, he had told Steve about a book the real Jarvis had read repeatedly to him as a child, and how he hadn’t been able to find a copy of it since. Steve was pretty sure, if he could find Tony the book, it’d show him how much he wanted to be with him; it would show how much he cared.

After the internet came up with no results (not that he really thought it would, if Tony hadn’t been able to find anything in the past), he realised, this time, that maybe old fashioned methods would be best. With this in mind, he set out on foot - a list of every second-hand book and antique store in a two hundred block radius written on a scrap of paper in his pocket - with the intention of not returning until the book was in his possession.

It seemed the gods were looking down on him, as well, because right at the back of only the third store he found himself in, a relatively decent copy of the book was tucked. He had just managed to pay for the thing when the first gunshot sounded, and he was running - sliding the book into his inside jacket pocket - before he had even realised.

Outside, some sort of robbery seemed to be taking place on the jewellery store next door. He had just enough sense to throw himself in front of an oblivious teenager sauntering by with his headphones in and his head down, before a sharp, agonising pain blossomed in his chest, and he was gone.

—

When he next awoke, Steve’s head felt heavy and strange, as though there was a layer of cotton wool around his brain. Groaning, he forced his eyes to open, and became quickly aware that he wasn’t, in fact, in his own bed as he had thought, but at SHIELD medical.

"You’re an idiot," an exasperated voice murmured from somewhere beside him, and, when he managed to get his neck working, Steve realised Tony was sitting next to him.

"M’not," he disagreed, voice surprisingly hoarse. “M’a hero."

Tony huffed out a laugh, but there were tears in his eyes as he looked down at his lap. With a start, Steve realised he was holding the book in slack hands.

"You got _shot_ ," he whispered, more to himself than to Steve, “getting this for me?"

"No," Steve shook his head, but it hurt, so he stopped. “Got shot trying to stop a robbery. Already had the book."

"If you weren’t out getting the book, you wouldn’t have been shot at all!" Tony snapped. “Jesus, Steve, a couple of inches to the right and it would have torn your heart open!"

Steve shook his head again, ignoring the way it felt like his brain was jangling about in his skull. What did they have him _on_ , anyway? It was _great_.

"Can’t have my heart," he grinned, aware that he was probably slurring, but unable to bring himself to care. “Belongs t’you."

And, for a moment, Tony looked mollified, before his expression drooped into something closer to irritated resignation.

"God dammit. Fine, I give up! You win! Move over, you sap," he sighed, getting to his feet.

Steve wasn’t too sure what was going on, but he did as he was told, and slowly shimmied his achy body over to the other side of the bed, then watched in awe as Tony slid on next to him.

"There you go, you see? You’ve worn me down, you meatball; I’m all yours. Honestly, can’t even fend off a guy from the forties. What sort of self-respecting playboy am I?"

Steve beamed while the other man settled in flush against his side, muttering under his breath all the while, because he had said he was _Steve’s_.

"You’re pretty," he grinned, once Tony had finally settled with his head against the good side of his chest. “And talky."

"And I’m pretty sure _you_ are on enough pain killers to tranquilise a baby giraffe, so you should try to get some more sleep, okay? We’ll be talky when you wake up."

"Okay," Steve agreed, because he _was_ starting to feel sleepy now Tony was pressed, safe and warm, against him. “Tony?"

"Yeah, big guy?"

"You like the book, right?"

He felt Tony’s warm puff of breath as he laughed into his side. “Yeah, Steve. I really like the book."

"Good," Steve nodded, closing his eyes, “‘cos I really like you."

He didn’t hear Tony’s reply this time, because he was already asleep.


End file.
